


A Meeting of Chance

by taibhrigh



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:41:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26240548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taibhrigh/pseuds/taibhrigh
Summary: Wufei runs into Duo for the first time in several years.
Kudos: 15





	A Meeting of Chance

**Author's Note:**

> This was written more than a decade ago. It wasn't widely available. I have since cleaned it up, added to it (500 words ot so), and changed the story to be entirely from a single character's POV.

Wufei almost missed him sitting there at the umbrella-covered table. The man wasn't trying to go unnoticed; he was just being quiet --something Wufei had rarely seen. Then man's feet were propped up in an empty chair at his table, nose buried in a physical book instead of a screen, and a half empty glass of something sat within easy reach. Wufei knew he would have missed him had he not looked up and over when he had.

Walking into the cafe's little outdoor sitting area and within a few feet of the person he quietly questioned, "Maxwell?"

The man in question looked up and smiled, his violet-eyes equally puzzled but happy, nonetheless. "Wufei."

At Wufei's nod, Maxwell told him to pull up a chair and join him. Wufei almost declined but he was curious to know why the braided man was on earth. "I thought you were on L-2," he inquired as he sat down across from Maxwell.

Maxwell shifted in his seat, marking his spot in the book with a thin matte-black piece of metal that reminded Wufei of Deathscythe; and it wouldn’t surprise him if it was. Maxwell then dropped his feet from the other chair so he could turn to face Wufei, giving him a once over before letting his eyes roam the crowd before settling back on Wufei.

"I was," Maxwell finally answered, "but it wasn't working for me." Maxwell shrugged a shoulder. "Besides, I always did like earth. You can see the moon from here."

"I see." Wufei glanced down at the book, reading the title. _Philosophy of the Sky_ (1). "What are you doing now, then?" He hadn't known Maxwell well during the war and he thought the book something the braided boy would never have chosen to read.

"Going to college," Maxwell replied almost absently; like it wasn’t a big deal.

Wufei was sure that there had been a momentary show of surprise on his face before he could cover it up. But Maxwell had never seemed the sort for school.

"Look," Maxwell said lowering his voice and leaning forward, "undercover assignments in schools where I'd be for maybe a month were boring. The classes I would have liked or excelled in were off limits because they could have blown my cover. It was just easier to blow off everything." Maxwell gestured with his hand toward the book before leaning back in his chair and returning to a normal voice. “No one else would play the fool; not even our clown.”

"I see," Wufei repeated and he wasn't sure what to say or ask next. He had made many judgements back then that he tended to question now and again. Thankfully Maxwell didn't seem to have that problem and moved the conversation forward as if there hadn’t been a momentary break.

"So," the braided man probed, tilting his chin and barely waving a finger to indicate Wufei’s jacket, "still working for the Preventers?"

It had been almost three years since the pilots had all been together. They kept in touch in e-mail or by one ex-pilot telling another something in passing. Quatre and Maxwell were probably the only two to keep in touch on a regular basis.

"Yes."

"And?" Maxwell encouraged with a rolling of his hand for Wufei to continue. "Are you still partnered with Sally? Have you done anything interesting? What is it you actually do besides spot ex-Gundam pilots at coffee cafes? Curious minds want to know?" Maxwell grinned after he finished.

Wufei smirked a little. Maxwell could still talk, that apparently had not changed. "Sally was just a training partner. I currently have no partner," he answered, truthfully. "Though Une has tried a few times," he paused, his voice quieting on the next part. "I did not seem to work well with them, and they were reassigned."

He was sure Maxwell had read between the lines because the other man’s grin changed. Wufei would admit it only to himself, but he was not good with people; no matter how hard he tried. He had scared the first two partners off. Their work had been incompetent, and he had let them know that in no uncertain terms. The next few were not much better.

"And I do not just spot Gundam pilots at coffee cafes. I did almost miss seeing you had I not first noticed the long braid and the dark clothes." Maxwell shrugged at that; and Wufei guessed that some things would never change. "The cases have all been routine," Wufei added.

Maxwell rolled his eyes. "Define routine?"

"This and that," Wufei answered, quickly changing the topic. He did not want to talk about his work right now. He liked the investigations part; the puzzles. He just couldn’t handle talking to people, especially when they got emotional. "How long have you been on earth, Maxwell?"

"Duo," Duo smiled. "My name is Duo, Wufei. And I've been here almost a year."

"A year?" Wufei said more to himself, wondering why no one else had ever mentioned that Duo was on earth and not on one of the colonies. "Have you been here all that time?"

"Just about," Duo nodded. "In between switching schools, I traveled for a few weeks."

The conversation almost stalled again until a waitress stopped by their table. "Would your friend like something to drink, Duo?" she asked.

Wufei wasn't surprised when the waitress knew Duo's name. Duo had always seemed relaxed and easy-going. He was shocked however, when Duo ordered him a hot Chai tea, plain with cinnamon and cardamom.

"You do still drink that?" he heard Duo ask.

"Yes," he replied automatically. "Thank you," he said with a nod at the waitress. Wufei was still at a loss for why Duo would remember that. "Why would you remember that?" he asked before realizing how that might sound.

Duo shrugged. "I remember lots of things," he went on. "I may have played at being unobservant, the class clown, and all, but I would not have been piloting a gundam if that had been true."

Wufei started. Deep down Wufei knew that about of all the pilots but he had always had a hard time believing that where Maxwell, Duo he corrected, had been concerned and that he realized had been unfair.

"Forgive me," he began, "I didn't mean to imply..." Only to be cut off by Duo.

"I get that a lot. No harm."

"It was a good cover," Wufei acknowledged.

Duo's grin turned a little devilish. "Yes, it is."

The waitress returned before Duo could say anything else. She placed a mug in front of Wufei and switched out the mug --something that smelled of both coffee and chai-- in front of Duo. "Anything else I can getcha?" she asked, smiling.

Duo smiled back. "Not right now, Julie, thanks."

Wufei took a sip of his tea before asking his next question. The tea was surprisingly good, he would have to remember this place. He tried to figure out what path to take with his questions without it sounding like he was interrogating Duo and just settled for, “What are you studying?”

The other man didn’t seem surprised by the inquiry. "Psychology,” he began. “I tried Physics and Chemistry, but something about already knowing what they were trying to teach, told me that I needed to find something new and keep those as hobbies." Duo paused to take a sip of his coffee. "I tried several things before settling on a degree in crazy."

Wufei gave a small smile at the joke. "Philosophy one of those trials," he queried, pointing to the book Duo had been reading.

"Yeah, enough that I minored in it."

Wufei began to wonder just how long Duo had been taking classes and voiced his question. The answer was not what he expected. The boy sitting across from him had been in school, off and on, since the end of the first war. Several minors, a bachelor’s degree later, and Duo was almost complete with the work on his Masters.

"You've not told Quatre this?" Wufei asked, already knowing Duo had not. If he had, they would have all known. There was not a chance that Quatre would have missed throwing a party for Duo after the other man completed the bachelor’s degree.

"Not really," Duo admitted. "I mean, I told him I was taking classes and all. It just never seemed like that big of a deal, you know?"

Wufei made a noncommittal sound. The Preventers had paid for him to get his degree in Criminal Justice while he worked for them. But he didn't think that was the same. "If you do not wish it mentioned, I will not comment on it when I next converse with Quatre," he offered. "Do you know what you're going to do when you're done?"

"Thanks," Duo replied with almost a sigh. "And not a clue, but I think I'm done with school for a while," he admitted. “I completed my final project and am just waiting to hear back from my advisor. But I really don’t have a clue what I’m going to do next.”

Duo looked contemplative for a moment. “I thought I might work for Howard and the Sweepers. I do that on breaks, but I’m just not feeling that right now either.”

Seeming to be a topic Duo didn't want to dwell on, he changed the direction of their entire conversation much to Wufei’s amusement.

"So,” Duo said somewhat bemusedly, “It took Quat and Trowa long enough to settle down together, don't ya think?"

Wufei took the hint and dropped his next question, but he did wonder what else Duo had minored in. A plan was beginning to form in the back of his mind. He'd have to give it more thought.

"Maybe a little longer than I thought it would take them,” Wufei disclosed. He had not been blind during or after the two Eve events; he just hadn’t seen the point. None of them were supposed to have lived to enjoy the peace. After though, that was another thing altogether. “I think they needed to find themselves first before they could have a healthy and happy relationship."

Duo laughed, not the manic laugh when he’d flown Deathscythe, but something lighter and more carefree. "Who'd have thought, that Chang Wufei was a closet romantic."

“Duo,” he warned.

“Not to worry Wu,” Duo finished. “Your secret is safe with me.”

Wufei actually found himself relaxing, even smiling. He’d have to make sure that Duo didn’t keep shortening his name; and he’d have to get Une to agree, but maybe this chance meeting was meant to be.

**End Notes:**  
(1) Title is made up. According to Amazon there is no real book with that name.


End file.
